3.13 - Class and Social Hierarchy
Overview of class divisions in the novella
Class and social hierarchy form a core theme in the novella, reflecting Victorian society's rigid structure. Stevenson contrasts the privileged upper class, including professionals like Jekyll and Utterson, with the working class, such as servants like Poole and the maid. This divide underscores how social position does not guarantee moral superiority, often revealing the opposite through characters' actions and judgements.
Key aspects of class portrayal
- Upper-class privilege - Characters like Jekyll use their status and education to pursue risky experiments, hiding "dual nature" behind respectability.
- Working-class insight - Servants demonstrate practical wisdom, sensing dangers that the elite overlook due to social constraints.
- Social critique - The novella challenges the idea that higher class equates to greater virtue, showing how privilege can enable moral lapses.
Contextual connection
Stevenson's portrayal draws from Victorian class tensions, where the middle and upper classes maintained strict social norms, often at the expense of ethical action, influenced by rapid industrialisation that widened economic gaps.
Moral failings of upper-class characters
Upper-class figures in the novella often falter morally due to their adherence to social conventions and intellectual rationalisations. Jekyll's "scientific" pursuits lead to creating Hyde, justifying his actions through educated excuses that mask inner corruption. Similarly, Utterson's gentlemanly restraint prevents decisive intervention, allowing Hyde's violence to persist.
Examples of upper-class moral weaknesses
- Hesitation in action - Utterson delays confronting Jekyll to preserve "discretion," reflecting how class norms prioritise reputation over justice.
- Justification of wrongdoing - Jekyll views his experiment as a sophisticated exploration of "duality," but it unleashes unchecked savagery, showing education's potential for harm.
- Vulnerability to corruption - Privilege provides resources for Jekyll's transformations, which working-class individuals could not access or afford.
Contextual connection
This depiction critiques Victorian hypocrisy, where the upper classes, shaped by imperialist confidence, used intellectual superiority to excuse moral failings, echoing Stevenson's own Calvinist upbringing that questioned rigid social hierarchies. The novella reflects late 19th-century anxieties about degeneracy among the elite, influenced by Darwinian ideas that suggested civilisation's "progress" could mask primal instincts.
Moral strengths of working-class characters
Working-class characters often exhibit stronger moral judgement, unhindered by the upper class's social pretensions. Poole, Jekyll's butler, actively seeks Utterson's help upon sensing danger, demonstrating initiative born from practical experience. The maid's eyewitness account of Hyde's attack on Carew provides clear, unbiased testimony, free from the elite's tendency to overthink or excuse.
Examples of working-class moral qualities
- Proactive response - Poole's decision to alert Utterson breaks through class barriers, prioritising safety over subservience.
- Honest perception - The maid describes Hyde's crime without rationalisation, offering "simple truth" that contrasts with the upper class's convoluted denials.
- Human decency - These characters rely on innate ethics rather than status, highlighting moral wisdom's independence from social rank.
Contextual connection
Stevenson, writing during a time of growing labour movements, portrays working-class figures as morally grounded, challenging Victorian assumptions that linked lower classes with inferiority and criminality.
Class influence on moral authority and responsibility
The theme explores how class shapes moral authority, suggesting true ethics stem from human decency rather than social standing. Upper-class norms, like Utterson's code of discretion, hinder responsibility, enabling evil to thrive. In contrast, working-class perspectives cut through pretence, prompting action and accountability.
Ways class affects moral dynamics
- Barriers to responsibility - Social hierarchy forces servants to defer to masters, yet they often drive the narrative by recognising threats first.
- Crossing boundaries - Moral insight transcends class, as seen when Poole and Utterson collaborate, blurring lines for the greater good.
- Privilege and wrongdoing - Higher status allows figures like Jekyll to evade scrutiny, using "respectability" as a shield against consequences.
Contextual connection
Influenced by Stevenson's Scottish middle-class background, this theme critiques how Victorian social responsibility was unevenly applied, with the elite often escaping accountability amid growing calls for reform. The novella echoes contemporary debates on social Darwinism, where class was seen as evolutionary proof of superiority, but Stevenson subverts this by showing moral authority in unexpected places.
Stevenson's critique of Victorian social structures
Stevenson uses class to expose societal flaws, particularly the hypocrisy of respectable classes who hide corruption behind status. The novella prompts reflection on how privilege enables wrongdoing, challenging Victorian links between class and virtue. Through characters' interactions, it reveals moral accountability as a universal duty, not confined to social rank.
Elements of Stevenson's critique
- Hypocrisy revealed - Upper-class sophistication masks base instincts, as Jekyll's "experiments" illustrate societal double standards.
- Call for equality - Working-class moral clarity questions class-based virtue, urging a reevaluation of social hierarchies.
- Broader implications - The theme warns that unchecked privilege leads to moral decay, advocating for cross-class ethical awareness.
Contextual connection
Stevenson's work, published in 1886, reflects anxieties from urbanisation and class unrest, critiquing how the British Empire's social order prioritised appearance over genuine morality.